Walking doll



J. G. OLSEN AND L. COOK. WALKING DOLL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11. 1919.

1,332,355. Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

314 uud'oz Joseph 6. O/sen 6;

JOSEPH G. OLSEN "AND ILOUISE COOK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WALKING DOLL.

Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, i920.

Applicationfiled July 11, 1919. Serial No. 310,012.

To all about it may concern.-

Be it known that WG JOSEPH Gr. OLSEN and LOUISE Coon, both citizens of the United States, residing intlie cityof New York, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improved lValkingDOll, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a walking doll and-the object of the invention is to improve upon the construction of the copending application'Serial No. 302,106, filed June 6th, 1919, through the simplification of parts and-the attachment ofthe-legs of the doll to the body thereof in a simple and efficient manner and without the employment of the numerous links and levers embodied in the prior construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide meansfor actuating each leg independently of the other for the purpose of allowing the doll to' assume a sitting posture without necessitating the conditioning of the parts to allow of this operation.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown "is to be understood as illustrative only, and not as definingthe limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a doll constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a'central section of the' doll shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental section corresponding to the waist line portion ofFig. 2 but illustrating a modified form ofthe invention.

Referring to the drawings A indicates the torso of a doll and B and C the legs thereof. Suitable arms are attached to the doll in any desired manner and the torso is surmounted by a head. The parts thus far described may be formed from any suitable material such as sheet metal or papier inach or the torso may be formed from one of these materials and the legs, arms and head stuffed. Moreover, the torso may be of the stuffed construction so long as a por tion thereof which houses the operating mechanism-be of a more or less rigid character toallow 0f the proper mounting of the operating elements. As shown in the drawings the torso is formed from papier mach or sheet 'metal, is hollow and the lower end thereof is preferably hid so that the operating parts adapted to be positioned withinthe torso .arein normally concealed positions.

The legs B and C are pivoted at either hip portion of the torso and the hip portions are preferably recessed at a. or made concave so as to allow the hip portions of the legs to occupy such concavity and be flush with the outer contour of the body as in the human form. The concavity a is however made not very deep and the forward portion thereof issubstantially flat so as to in no wiseinterfere with the pivotal movement of each leg forwardly into a position, at substantial right angles to the vertical axis of the torso. In fact, the surface a may be made perfectly fiat and the interior of the hip portionof the legbe correspondingly shaped. so as to assure proper articulation in the hip joint; In either instances the structure is suchas to allow of the doll assuming a sitting posture and if a slight concavity is formed at a this may be acco1nplished although the legs of the doll will be brought intoslight. divergent relation when the figure is seated.

The legs are secured to the torso by means of pivot pins or pintles b, 0 one of which is associated with eachvleg. The pins extend through the wall of the torso and each is provided on its inner end with an arm D formed rigid with the pin. Moreover, the pins-are; rigid with the respective legs but are journaled for free oscillation in the wall of the torso. The parts are, accordingly, so associated that each pin 7) is rigid with the associated leg but both ofthese parts are adapted for simultaneous oscillation about the aXis of the pin.

Associated with the free end of each arm D is a spring E which normally acts upon the arm to maintain the leg parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body.

If a doll so constructed is held in upright position with the foot of one leg, the leg B for example, flat on the floor or table top and the doll thereupon given a forward movement, the body as well as the other leg C will respond and move forwardly while the leg B will be held back by friction be tween the foot and the surface. The for- Ward movement of the body and leg C will continue until the leg B has substantially completed the rearward swinging movement required to make the step, whereupon the arm D will come into engagement with a flap G pivoted at g to the interior of the torso. This flap is normally forced downwardly either by weight F, as shown in {Fig 2, or a spring F, as shown in Fig. 3, but toward the end of the step it is engaged by an arm and caused to raise slightly into the dotted line position shown in Fig.2. By this time the leg O has reached the end of the step and the weight power of the flap G added to the tension of the spring E serves to give the leg O a quick impetus forwardly. The foot of the leg 0 is brought into engagement with the ground and the leg B quickly moves to the vertical position. By continued forward movement of the doll the leg C is caused to partake of the same movements as previously executed by the leg B, while said leg B is being maintained free from the ground and in vertical position. The operations repeated alternately in the two legs and the walking operaton is simulated. If the doll is picked up from the floor the both legs will immediately assume parallel relation with one another and with the body and the doll may be laid down in the usual manner. If it is desired to have the doll sit down this is also accomplished in the usual manner, no part of the mechanism interfering with this Operation.

In order to preclude the flap G from interfering with the proper operation of the legs said flap is adapted to cooperate with said legs only near the end of a step and a stop H is preferably formed to hold the flap clear of the arm D at all times except at the end of a step. The use of the flap G for accelerating the operations of the legs at the end of the step facilitates the operation of said legs although the doll may be made to walk without the use of the flap.

Having thus fully described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. A walking doll embodying a torso, a pair of legs, trunnions rigid with the legs and extendinginto the torso, on whichv the legs are pivotally mounted for movement independently of one another, a radially extending member interiorly of the torso and rigid with each trunnion, resilient means cooperating with each of said members for normally imp'elling the legs into parallel relation with the vertical axis of the torso, and gravity actuated means, not in operating relation to said radially extending members when they are in substantially parallel relation to the torso, but adapted to engage with the radially extending members of the trunnions as the legs successively complete consecutive steps for the purpose of imparting an impetus to the legs, for the purpose ofquickly returning them to their original position. I i

2. A walking doll embodying a torso, a pair of legs, trunnions rigid with the legs and extending into the torso, on which the legs are pivotally mounted for movement independently of one another, a radially extending member interiorly of the torso and rigid with each trunnion, resilient means cooperating with each of said members for normally impelling the legs into parallel relation with the vertical axis of the torso, and means, not in operating relation to said radially extending members When the legs are in substantially parallel relation to the torso, but adapted to engage with the radially extending members of the trunnions as the legs successively complete consecutive stepsfor the purpose of imparting an impetus to the legs, for the purpose of quickly returning them to their original position.

3. A walking doll embodying a torso, a pair of legs, secured thereto for pivotal movement independent of one another, means for normally maintaining the legs in parallel relation to the torso, but allowing of pivotal movement of the legs to simulate walking, and means, not in operating relation to the legs when they are in substantially parallel relation to the torso, but adapted to cooperate with said legs alternately at the end of successive steps for imparting an impetus to said legs to quickly return the legs successively into the said parallel relation to the torso.

In testimony whereof, we sign our names to this specification.

JOSEPH G. OLSEN. LOUISE COOK. 

